Federal prosecutors have charged eight individuals and two New Orleans law firms in connection with a decade-long scheme involving staged vehicle accidents and fraudulent insurance claims. Authorities allege the conspiracy also led to the murder of a key witness to prevent cooperation with federal investigators.
The 10-count indictment, unsealed Monday in the Eastern District of Louisiana, accuses the law firms Motta Law, LLC, and The King Firm, LLC, along with the eight co-defendants, of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud. Additional charges, including murder and witness tampering, have been filed against one individual.
A Decade of Fraudulent Collisions
Prosecutors claim that the elaborate scheme, which began in 2011, involved orchestrated vehicle crashes, primarily targeting 18-wheelers. Allegedly, participants crashed vehicles, fled the scene, and left passengers to pose as drivers who would falsely blame the commercial vehicles.
Fake witnesses were also planted at the crash sites to bolster claims that the commercial drivers were at fault. These fraudulent incidents resulted in lawsuits and insurance payouts. Monday’s indictment links the defendants to 22 staged collisions in the Eastern District of Louisiana.
Murder Allegations to Silence a Witness
One defendant, Ryan J. Harris, 36, of New Orleans, faces additional charges of witness tampering through murder, retaliation against a witness through murder, and causing death through the use of a firearm.
Prosecutors allege Harris murdered Cornelius Garrison in 2020, just four days after Garrison was indicted for his role in the staged accidents. Garrison had secretly been cooperating with federal authorities since 2019 to expose the scheme.
If convicted, Harris faces a mandatory life sentence and a fine of up to $250,000 for each count related to the murder charges.
Legal Defense and Allegations Against Attorneys
Among those charged is attorney Vanessa Motta of Motta Law, LLC. Prosecutors allege she participated in pursuing fraudulent claims tied to the staged accidents.
Motta’s lawyer, Sean Toomey, has denied the allegations, stating that his client is also a victim in the scheme.
“The government’s theory – that a lawyer barely a year out of law school decided to participate in a sprawling conspiracy – is terribly mistaken,” Toomey said in a statement.
The King Firm, LLC, and representatives for Harris have not yet commented on the charges.
Penalties and Federal Investigation
The mail and wire fraud charges carry a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $250,000 or twice the financial impact of the scheme.
This latest indictment is part of “Operation Sideswipe,” a sweeping federal probe that has resulted in 63 individuals being charged in connection with the staged collision scheme.
